


Ice-piration

by the_ol_razzle_dazazzle



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: F/F, Yuri on Ice AU, also lmfao at that title, cross-posting on my tumblr because I need validation, self indulgent yoi au, though it's not really necessary for you to watch yoi to read this
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-03
Updated: 2017-01-02
Packaged: 2018-09-14 09:06:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,111
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9172522
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_ol_razzle_dazazzle/pseuds/the_ol_razzle_dazazzle
Summary: A Pearlidot Yuri on Ice AU because I can't ever like an OTP without drawing parallels, and I needed something to redeem myself in the YOI/SU fandom after the Pingu crackfics





	1. Chapter 1

Peridot was a failure.

There were a lot of things that swayed her around the scales of life, but in her eyes, it simply seemed that no matter what she did, something would come and take it away.

When she was younger, and she finally learnt her passion for mechanics. She loved nothing more than to play with the silver and copper metals, pulling things apart and putting them back together. Even with it’s good conductivity, gold was hard to come by, but that did not matter to her. It was, well, clockwork to her. Easy, mechanical, calculated. Put it apart. Pull it together.

Pull yourself together.

However, a time hit where one could only call ‘a bug in the system’, ‘bad wiring’. Such things occurred to her young, when she was alone in wintery fields or getting her hands singed a bit by summer-heated silvers. Because the only thing that wasn’t clockwork was life. The only law was simply that, excluding this law itself, nothing ever stops changing.

Motion. Always keep in motion. Always keep going. Don’t stop.

During her times where she tried to replicate a remote, she stared at a screen. Her eyes generally couldn’t give a damn what channel, as she ended up having to replace a spring.

Her boredom-filled self rolled back with a sigh, choosing to engage in the crowd-cheering. That was always a problem with sports that Peridot never liked, so much yelling. So much irrationality.

Form, elegance, grace.

Apparently there was some blather about a rising star, underdog, ground up girl who was simply amazing. Successful. Pulled together, composed. Someone who had all the materials, could probably use gold to conduct her switches. Peridot’s thoughts filled with irrational envy, and she felt a bitter taste in her mouth. Envy was a taste of disconnection, it got you nowhere. Illogical, irrational. Pull yourself together.

She decided to satisfy her curiosity, if nothing else. Her glasses-clad eyes saw screen to screen.

And there she was. It’s rare that an opportunity so vividly presents itself, let alone with fanfare of ‘And now, the pearl of the ice, entry number three, Pearl Marinochka.’ …Wow really didn’t have to dig deep for that title, judges.

Nonetheless, the girl on the ice was a treasure to Peridot. One like a locket that one keeps by a heart, physically and mentally. Pearl was by her thoughts for every slice through the icy surface. Every shaky question to stay in the rink was a millimetre closer, every hour spent on the ice was a centimetre closer, every win a step forward, every loss a stumble forward.

Pearl was someone who succeeded.

Peridot was a failure.

And after 20 years of trying and pushing herself, Peridot couldn’t even stand on the same podium as Pearl. That treasured feeling she had was crushed by one sentence. ‘Peridot Ryuusei is ranked last in the Grand Prix Final.’

Her mind clouded to a storm brewing in her head, metaphorical lightning strikes giving her shocks. Her one shot strayed, completely screwed up and it was entirely her own fault. What would Pearl even think of her now, if she would think of her at all?

So Peridot did the natural course of action. Sitting in the bathroom stall and sobbing her eyes out. She had a habit, she had a word from each letter of the alphabet that she would loathe herself on. Abominable, Blockhead, Clod (or cacogen, when it was overdone), Disaster, Excruciating… she didn’t feel like going with the obvious, apart from the ever prevalent stupid, worthless, useless, horrendous, lots of s’s. S’s were easy to slip off the tongue for anyone, stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

“Oh great, here come the waterworks.” A loud mutter came as the door slammed open. Peridot choked back a surprised sob.

“Really? Crying in the bathroom? How brainless are you?” The words dripped with venom so much that Peridot thought they would dissolve the door…I mean, when she screws up, anything’s bloody possible. Apart from, you know, not self-sabotaging yourself so you can even be worthy of talking to the person that inspired you for twenty years.

Okay. Deep breath. Your face always gets red like this, wipe those tears and just act. Fine. You. Are. Fine. Well you’re not, but you’re going to act like it for once in your life.

An audible creak sounded through the door, as oh fuck life. The worst person to possibly bump into aside from Pearl herself, Lapis Lazur’. Considered a prodigy, people call her the Water Witch, some idiots that ramble on about costumes being snake people cover stories think that she manipulates the ice for her performance. None of this was actually true, although with the icy stare she was giving Peridot, it may as well have been.

“You think you’re so special you earnt the right to cry over your loss?” Lapis raises an eyebrow, “People train their entire-“ She gestures her arms as far as the can go, “Lives for this, and you think it’s okay that you make up regrets?”

Peridot normally would have a sassy comeback. Not while she was talking, because it’s always just after that you get the one thing. But no, she was a sobbing mess prior, as good old Newton’s law dictates, an object in motion will stay in motion. So she kept sobbing.

Lapis grabbed her head and tilted it up, looking intrusively at her. “You don’t deserve to be here. I should be competing with people that are worth my time, instead of people like you with whims and regrets.” She lets go of her. “Now what was that word you were fond of? You clod.” Her words hissed like steam, and Peridot could only pathetically grab some hand towels, scurrying away to wipe her face and leave the inevitable shame.

Into more inevitable shame. Because what Peridot seemed to forget was that this was not only a failure, but a failure seen by pretty much the entire world. Fantastic. The paparazzi that had finished documenting everyone who succeeded turned to the one person that failed. Head down, hands down, pretend no one in the world can see you. You’re not worth being seen.

It was an unhealthy tactic to be sure, but an effective one. Every “What happened out there?” only had the loud silent response of no answers, but more questions. “Are you continuing?” “What made you screw up?” Peridot could stare at the floor forever at this rate.

“Are you okay…?” Okay scratch that entire train of thought actually. Peridot glanced up, and what the quadruple flip it’s Pearl.

“…” Peridot all but walks off, not even bothering to wipe away her tears. She doesn’t deserve this. She’s a failure. She’s nothing.

But she wants to be, she needs to be.

At least, after 16 glasses of champagne that’s what she tells herself. Drunk narrators are always unreliable ones. 


	2. Chapter 2

The only problem with drinking 16 glasses of champagne was that along with lingering regret you have a lingering headache. Peridot woke up in her hotel room with only a vague recollection of how she got there, probably sobbing her way to her room to pout after the banquet. She scrambled for her glasses, her eyes still blurry with tears and a migraine. Her eyes flickered to the overpriced fridge booze, unreliable slurring words telling her ‘hey if you keep drinking you won’t get a hangover’. Peridot ignored them, getting some water.

She looked at the clock, sleeping in until 1.  
Peridot figured she’d need some self-care.  
She slept another 12 hours.

‘Okay. This was getting ridiculous, if you don’t get up now, you’ll never get up, and they’ll have to make the bed with you.’ Peridot’s conscience caused her to flop an arm to the outside world outside of the comfort of her blankets. ‘Heh, a premature bed-rial. Perfect.’ The skating sloth slowly rolled over to the edge of the bed. ‘You’re so lazy you’re relying on gravity to wake you.’ “Ow.” She fell on the floor. Luckily, her back was to the wall, allowing her to clamour up with slightly more ease.

And so Peridot found herself, ironically, at the skating rink. Being there because of oversleeping, and the fact that it was almost 2 in the morning allowed her some space from the world.

She laced on her skates, uncaring of the slight bruises on the arch of her heels. A cooling sigh, she skated once more into the rink. Probably the last time anyway…

No. Her legs shook with uncertainty. No, she couldn’t skate that routine, not after everything that happened. Her eyes flickered around, even though it was in vain, none of the blobs looked like people. Her legs still quivered, perhaps instead she could skate to /that/ one.

With this particular routine, Peridot could remember it so vividly, that things like music were already in her head, there was no need to play it, lest she give attention to herself. “Mio ami, prego- restare per io, mai solo.” She whispered to herself, her arms flitting to position.

Peridot skated as if she was the only person on the rink, her arms desperately reaching with each beat and solo with vibrato, jumping in time to the silent symphony that was playing in her mind’s ears. Skating was her escape, and now, she was skating to escape her escape. Her heart’s pace grew with strain, but also the passionate quiver one gets when revealing their gifts alone.

A creak emerged from the door, “Whatever, I did what flips I needed to, and I won.” Lapis groaned, and Peridot felt her leg falter, slipping into the edge of the rink. Peridot tried to silence her yelp, wincing as she tried to stay hidden. “Even so, you’re performance doesn’t come across as well when you’re too busy scowling…” Pearl’s voice echoed through the empty rink, and Peridot all but fell lying down on the floor entirely, whispering to the ice to not reveal herself.

Lapis sighed, opening the door and walking off. “Whatever.” Causing a sigh from Pearl, “You need to stop being so moody…” Peridot closed her eyes and begged not to be seen. The entrance door creaked once more, a quiet sigh escaping Peridot’s lips.

“Now…you were at the bridge, weren’t you?” Peridot’s face was getting cold from being on the floor. “How…did you know that?” …The icy burn was starting to numb her so she sat up, glancing at Pearl as her breath hitched.

“I made the routine.” Pearl spoke, and Peridot nodded. “You skate like you’re making music. I could tell the point you were up to.” Peridot felt a sheepish smile play at her lips. “P-Prego, mai solo,” “Lei é mai solo, per io lei ami.” Pearl smiled. “I want you to show me, Peridot Ryūsei.”

God, Peridot didn’t know how much she ached for Pearl’s name on her lips until it slipped. She slowly got up, her skates trembling. Peridot was going to skate in front of Pearl- her idol, her inspiration, her muse, her…

She resumed, trying to build some momentum. This wasn’t for her to be nervous, this wasn’t for her own success, or to prove herself. Because, the fact that Pearl was here, changed both everything and nothing. This was still Peridot’s time to express, to show her yearning, her passion. But it changed everything, because of what followed.

Peridot finished, her arms pointing at Pearl feeling like they would fall off (skating at 3am is never a good idea.) Pearl walked over to Peridot, still holding her hands up. Pearl gently lowered them, a soft smile playing at her lips. The world was silent, aside from the low hum of the air conditioner. Their eyes gazed into each other, asking questions. ‘How long have you reached for me?’

Peridot blinked. “I-I’m sorry, I probably messed it up.” She stammers, her heart felt like it got stuck in her ribcage, ridged down the side. “No, it’s good. But there’s still improvements to be made.” Well of course, obligatory comment. “It’s…raw.” 'I was reaching for you, of course it was. I’ve been spending two decades reaching for you.’

“Peridot…I’ve decided.” Pearl nods, a conclusion.

“That I’m the worst person to ever skate your routine?” This is the end.

“No. I’m going to coach you.” A beginning.

Peridot’s eyes widened. “You can’t be serious, by all calculations and logical plausibility it doesn’t make sense.”

Pearl’s expression drops, “Did I stutter?”

“C-Can you just say it again? So I can be completely sure about what you’re saying.” Peridot stutters instead.

“I’m going to coach you, Peridot.”


End file.
